Latest developments across the world with prophet film protests

At least 33 people have been killed in violence linked to the protests over the film that has also renewed debate over freedom of expressions in the U.S. and in Europe

Posted: September 21, 2012 - 9:48am

Associated Press

Here's a look at protests and events across the world on Friday connected to an amateurish anti-Muslim film produced in the United States and vulgar caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published in a French satirical weekly. At least 33 people have been killed in violence linked to the protests over the film that has also renewed debate over freedom of expressions in the U.S. and in Europe.

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PAKISTAN

Tens of thousands protested against the film around the country after the government encouraged peaceful protests and declared a national holiday — "Love for the Prophet Day." Demonstrations turned violent and three people were killed, including a driver for a Pakistani television station, who died after police opened fire on rioters torching a cinema in the northwest city of Peshawar during a protest.

Clashes between police and thousands of stone-throwing protesters also occurred in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.

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AFGHANISTAN

About 900 people have gathered for a protest against the film in the capital, Kabul, chanting "death to America" and burning an effigy of President Barack Obama and an American flag. A few hundred demonstrators also protested inside a mosque in the eastern city of Ghazni. The protests were peaceful.

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IRAN

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at the West over the film. Speaking during a military parade in Tehran, he said: "in return for (allowing) the ugliest insults to the divine messenger, they — the West — raise the slogan of respect for freedom of speech." He said this explanation was "clearly a deception."

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INDONESIA

The United States closed its diplomatic missions across Indonesia due to continuing demonstrations over the anti-Islam film. Small and mostly orderly protests were held outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and in the cities of Surabaya and Medan, along with a couple other smaller towns. No violence was reported.

In addition to the embassy in Jakarta and consulate offices in Surabaya, Medan and Bali, the American mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations also was shut.

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IRAQ

About 3,000 people, mostly followers of Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim groups, protested against the film and caricatures in the southern city of Basra. Demonstrators carried Iraqi flags and posters of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, chanting "death to America" and "no to America."

They burnt Israeli and American flags. One of the organizers, Qassim al-Moussawi, told AP that people gathered "to express our anger and resentment on the offenses made against our prophet."

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SRI LANKA

About 2,000 Muslims burned effigies of President Barack Obama and American flags at a protest after Friday prayers in the capital, Colombo, demanding that the United States ban the film.

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BANGLADESH

Over 2,000 people marched through the streets of the capital, Dhaka, to protest the film. They burned a makeshift coffin draped in an American flag, and an effigy of Obama.

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LEBANON

Thousands gathered in the Bekaa valley for the latest in a series of protest rallies organized by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Protesters carried the yellow Hezbollah flag.

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KASHMIR

Police enforced a daylong curfew in parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city, Srinagar, and chased away protesters opposing the anti-Islam film. Authorities in the region also temporarily blocked mobile phone and Internet services to prevent viewing the film clips.

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GERMANY

The Interior Ministry said it was postponing a poster campaign aimed at countering radical Islam among young people due to tensions caused by the online video insulting Islam. It said posters for the campaign — in German, Turkish and Arabic — were meant to go on display in German cities with large immigrant populations on Friday, but are being withheld because of the changed security situation. Germany is home to an estimated 4 million Muslims.

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I saw a few days ago, an article on national TV news about a newly discovered "manuscript" that has led some "scholars" to conclude that Jesus Christ had both a wife and a mistress during his life on earth.

What I DID NOT see:

I did NOT see Christians rioting in the street over this insult to and mockery of our Lord and Savior. I saw NO embassies stormed, NO ambassadors murdered, NO flags burned, no one burned in effigy, NO chanting crowds on the brink of violence for days on end.

The DIFFERENCE:

"Love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you" - Jesus Christ.

6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. 9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest part or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place."

"You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

I'm still waiting for those examples of large groups of Christians trying their best to set fire to the world and murder everyone who does not agree with them, over a perceived insult to our deity. In other words, behaving like Muslims.

Quoting Bible verses is not going to stop terrorist Muslims from killing people and destroying property, or prove any other point as far as that goes. The drive-by media is still claiming the protests are related to a stupid video that most Muslims have never seen. They hate the US and other western countries and Israel and will use any pretense for their terrorist acts. Obama still won't even call it a terrorist attack; if he does, he will have to admit that more than once during his administration he has failed to protect U.S. interests.

[If they hate us so much why do they still sell us (Christian countries) oil? I guess the their bottom line is money then Muhammad.]

I guess the U.S.'s bottom line is not money, according to your post. Under Bush/Cheney, the U.S. was acting like a bunch of cowboys taking over and occupying middle eastern countries just for their oil? Now the OCCUPATION is at home where big oil/gas CEOs and CFOs refer to American land owners as INSURGENTS when they protest the land grabs, pollution and destruction of their property by the oil and gas mafia and their cronies. The chickens have come home to roost since a Texas judge ruled that a foreign country, e.g. Canada namely TransCanada can take all the land they desire away from American citizens in order to put in their XL Pipeline, all in the name of PROFIT...go figure kirk, no more sovereignty, the multi-national corporations own us, our land and our mineral rights.

President Bush did not take over and occupy Middle Eastern countries for oil and you should know that. As far as any big oil company referring to land owners who opposed them as insurgents, I never heard of such a thing. You probably have that confused with what the Obama administration said about our veterans coming home from the war being potential terrorists.

What that Texas judge ruled on was Imminent Domain. The very thing that has been going on for many years. Also, they cannot take away all the land they desire, but only what is required for the pipe line and the property owner must be fairly compensated.

You need to learn to quit exaggerating an issue. You are starting to sound like Otimio,

I don’t support any of these actions, and abhor the violence that has occurred. But by defaming the entire Muslim religion and those that follow it, you are not following the word of Jesus. You continue to judge ALL Muslims and their entire religion. (I don’t see any bible verses on judging others) I’m a Christian, I live in Dallas, and am fortunate enough to ‘not’ be surrounded by people that demonstrate a form of hate mongering by lumping all the Muslim people into one classification. In fact, I work with a true American hero, a Muslim American who joined the army (even though he had had a high paying job) after 9/11. He joined to fight as he said, “against these idiot extremist who are attacking our freedom and trying to harm America”. This guy did 5 tours, 3 in Iraq, 2 in Afghanistan. Is he an evil Muslim? He has an injury that prevented him from going back to Afghanistan. Has he given more than anyone in this forum in regard to sacrifice for his/this country? I would say yes! Yet we have people like MAS who throw out biblical scripture asserting that violence has never been acted upon in the name of Christianity, only by other religions. As a Christian I educate myself and realize that with a Muslim population of 1.6 billion, and an extremist percentage of almost 2%, there are a bunch of radical Muslims out there. But I don’t lump them all into one group and spew hate, and then lies that assert all Christians do is love one another and never promote hate. How many millions of people have been killed in the name of Christ? (read your flipping history MAS, you know the ole story about those who don’t read history) Extremist exist everywhere, in every religion and every part of the world. For any of you to sit here and say something as uninformed as MAS or actually agree that Christians never act or behave in violent manners is laughable and shows just how uneducated some are. If you look at the former Yugoslavian breakup and Slobodan Milosevic, you’ll remember his ethnic cleansing. Which consisted of rounding up the predominantly Muslim populace and exterminating them. How convenient that people like MAS forget these past actions and atrocities by extremist that supposedly follow Christianity and call themselves Christians. Do I want these Muslim extremist wiped off the face of the earth? Yes I do!!!! But I am not going to take every single person who follows Islam and lump them into some category that extremist like MAS consider evil. You sicken me sir!!!